of bridgeport



A. D. LAWS.

Lamp Shade.

No. 86,987. Patented Feb. 16,1869.

zaaa AMA/W A. D. LAWS, OF' .BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT. Letters Patent No. 86,987, dated February 16, 1869. I

IMPROVEMENT IN LAMP-SHADES.

The fichefiule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the To all when it may concern Be it known that I, A. D. Laws, of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvementin Lamp-Shades; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the letters of referenoe marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this-specification, and represent, in-- Figure 1, a top view of. the shade;

Figure 2, one of the sections detached; and in Figure 3, a side view.

The object of this invention is to produce a shade from the smallest quantity of material, and so that a number of the shades may be packed. in the least possible space; and

'Ihe invention consists in constructing the shade from several segments out from sheet-metal, or other suitable material, one side of each part constructed with hooks or tongues, the opposite side with slots,

which correspond in position to the said books or tongues, so that a certain number of the parts united together, by placing the hooks or tongues of the one into the slots of the ueXt,-will form a ring when lying flat, but when the centre is raised, theupper hooks or tongues are drawn in the slots, so as to expand, to the fullest extent, the inner edge of the segments or parts, aud'the outer hooks or tongues slide intheir slots, so as to contract the outer edge, and thus form a conicalshaped shade, which maybe applied to a lamporburne'r in the usual manner. 1

In order to the clear understanding of my invention, I will fully describe the same as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

From sheet-metal, or other suitable material, I out segments, as seen in fig. 2, here represented in such form that six segments will form a full circle, as seen in fig. 1.

- the edge of one may be set into and locked in the slots of the next, but yet so as'to allow the free movement laterally of the tongues in the said slots. Thussecured together, all the parts, when not supported at g the ccn'tre,will fall into a perfectly flat position, as denoted in fig. 1, but when the centre is raised, the hooks slide in the inner slots, expanding the shade at the centre, While the outer hooks, by the weight of the shade itself, are forced inward in their slots, so as to contract its outer edge, which causes the shade to assume a conical form, as seen in fig. 3.

The several parts may each be formed witha spring, B, by which to be supported against the chimney, or the shade may be supported in any other manner,

This shade, constructed with the slightest Waste of material, occupies, when not in use, no more than the thickness of the material--a great and desirable object in packing shades for market.

Another great advantage of this shade is, that one or more parts may be removed, and the edges of the remaining parts. in like manner joined, and thus form an adjustable shade;

Having fully described my invention,

"What I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A lamp-shade, formed from several segments A, united by means of tongues or books a and b, and corresponding slots 0 and (I, 'so as to operate substantially in the manner set forth.

" A. D. LAWS.

Witnesses (A. J. TrBBITs,

J. H. SHUMWAY. 

